Research Triangle Publications

Halloween Pumpkin Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Beth Spicer — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 22:43:15 +0000

This fun little treat will entice your whole family to eat their meat and veggies before they dig into the Halloween candy bowl!

Halloween Pumpkin Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown or white rice
4 large orange bell peppers with stems intact
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 diced onion
1 – 15 oz can tomato sauce
garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the top inch off the peppers and clean the insides, saving the tops for later.
Using a small paring knife, fashion eyes and mouth on the widest, flattest side of each pepper.
Place the empty peppers in a baking dish.
Mix ground beef, tomato sauce, onion, cooked rice, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper, then replace the tops, using toothpicks to hold them in place.
Bake for one hour at 350 degrees or until meat is cooked through.

Gone But Not Forgotten: The Sticky Stigma of Obesity

Beth Spicer — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 23:47:28 +0000

A recent collaboration between researchers (University of Hawaii – Mānoa, University of Manchester, and Monash University) considered the attitudes of young people towards those who currently are or were previously overweight, as compared to those who have always been thin. Probably no one was surprised to learn that participants preferred images and stories of always-thin people to those of currently heavy ones, but oddly enough, it appears that previously fat folks, even those who had lost large amounts of weight, were the least popular. One interpretation of this might be that still-heavy folks were seen as weak or hopeless, unable to resolve their weight problems, while those who had managed to successfully lose weight were viewed as lazy slackers who had “chosen” to be fat in the past. Instead of respecting or admiring the effort involved in massive weight loss, the study participants showed disdain for the once-obese, similar perhaps to how we might expect people to react to an ex-convict.

These attitudes were further tested after exposure to information about weight loss. Body fatness was alternately described as being easily controllable through diet and exercise modifications, or as a complex issue of genetics, physiology, and environment (the latter being a much more accurate presentation). The researchers found that the popular diet & exercise theory, promulgated daily in the media, caused participants to react even more negatively towards obese individuals. In other words, lightweight news stories by “health reporters”, combined with advertisements for quick and easy weight loss products and programs, contribute significantly to societal attitudes about obesity, while the real research, which shows no easy answers, is continually swept under the rug. I suppose news outlets consider that information (a lot of which is covered on this site) too difficult and complicated for the average consumer to comprehend. Or perhaps science just doesn’t sell as many papers as the typical glossy “before & after” shots.

Learn more about this fascinating look at attitudes towards obesity from Time’s Healthland article or the original research in the journal Obesity.

Do you have good fat or bad fat?

Beth Spicer — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 04:35:00 +0000

We’re constantly bombarded with information connecting obesity with a variety of chronic and debilitating diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. The presumption is that the excess weight is the cause of these illnesses, rather than a co-symptom of an underlying problem. A new study out of Texas A&M University shines a bright light on that presumption by showing that a subset of the obese have none of these chronic illnesses, and seem to possess an enzyme that increases their fat deposition while simultaneously suppressing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity (the exact opposite of what most overweight people experience). Furthermore, the researchers pointed out that a certain percentage of lean folks exhibit the inflammation and insulin resistance normally associated with obesity.

While the study’s primary goal was to explore the enzyme in question—in hopes of someday developing a proprietary drug based on it, of course—the real point is that you can’t tell a book by the size of its cover. Just because you see someone carrying excessive weight, you can’t assume that they have high blood sugar or blood pressure or that their heart is a ticking time bomb. In fact, they may be healthier and have a longer life in front of them than their slender companions.

Explore the research further at AgriLife Today (Is there a ‘healthy’ obesity gene?), or dig into the nitty-gritty details at The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Who’s Your Daddy? Apparently, it’s NYC Mayor Bloomberg…

Beth Spicer — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:05:29 +0000

No Sugar Sodas Allowed

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg once again proves he has a serious God Complex. His latest “food police” proposal involves outlawing sales of any sugar-containing beverage over 16 oz, except for those he deems acceptable, such as fruit juices and milkshakes(!). Put aside for a moment the economic impact of this edict, and let’s focus on what’s really going on here. This guy thinks he knows enough about health and nutrition to tell everybody else how they should live. He actually thinks he’s going to single-handedly do what thousands of educated, talented scientists have so far been unable to do, which is solve the very complex problem of obesity by controlling one tiny piece of the puzzle—what people eat and drink. His arrogance is enough to make me choke on a Diet Coke, and those lovely little chemical concoctions are, by the way, still permitted under his proposal.

Mayor Bloomberg, here’s a clue. Some people are convinced that sun exposure will give them skin cancer, while others are concerned about the transdermal absorption of carcinogens and hormone disruptors in common sunscreen products. Some folks think they will die of food poisoning if they drink raw milk, while others are concerned about the loss of nutrients and digestibility of the pasteurized stuff. Some swear off coffee, claiming the caffeine will kill them, while others know that coffee’s been linked to longevity and a reduced risk of diabetes. And we all know someone who consistently drank vodka with breakfast and smoked three packs a day and lived to be 95. The fact is, no health information is absolute for everyone, and even if it was, this is still a free country (at least for now), and that means we should all be free to make lifestyle choices for our own bodies, and then live—or die—with the consequences thereof. In other words, Mayor Bloomberg, last I checked, you’re not the boss of me, and I’d like to keep it that way.

Read more about Bloomberg Almighty and his latest crusade against personal liberty in Time Magazine’s Healthland piece or Hot Air’s treatise on the topic.

Catholics Fight Obama on Religious Freedom

Maria Elizabeth Romana — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:23:13 +0000

Bishops, Cardinals, and other leaders of Catholic organizations are filing suit against the Obama administration, charging that the President’s health care plan infringes on religious freedom. The plan mandates that all employers cover contraceptive services, such as exams, counseling, and prescriptions for contraceptive products. Roman Catholics oppose the use of non-natural methods of contraception (which they consider tantamount to abortion), so the mandate pits the Church squarely against its own stated principles. The administration has suggested that it will make exceptions for religious organizations, but its definition of such leaves out Catholic schools and universities and Catholic publications. Religious leaders have previously tried to come to an agreement with the White House on this issue, but so far have been unsuccessful in finding a compromise.

Read more on this issue at Deseret News, The NY Times, or Reuters News Service. You might also want to visit this website, dedicated to the cause.

When All Natural is Anything But – the Kashi Controversy

Beth Spicer — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:38:07 +0000

For years, Kellogg’s Kashi brand has been associated with wholesome, all natural goodness. Folks who care about what they’re putting in their bodies and feeding to their children, chose Kashi cereals over Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms and even Cheerios, because they were looking for food they could trust to be free from chemical additives. Well, a little research from the Cornucopia Institute proved that while Kashi’s cereals may not have chemicals added after the fact, they are made with grains that have been genetically modified in order to withstand direct spraying with powerful, dangerous weedkillers like Monsanto’s Round-Up, which is taken up into the grain and later finds its way into your digestive tract.

Learn more about the Kashi controversy from Lucine Biotechnology or from the original investigative report about Kashi’s ingredients, the Cornucopia Institute’s “Cereal Crimes”.

Want to be more like Katniss? Just read the book.

Madeline Plimpton — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:10:20 +0000

A new study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that reading about characters in fictional works can cause us to become more like those characters, but only if we identify and sympathize with them. In other words, if you find a character likeable or admirable, you will actually begin to think and act more like him. A talented writer, of course, can lead us to sympathize with characters we wouldn’t ordinarily like, so this study has some interesting implications.

To learn more, see these stories: The Body Odd – You Are What You Read or Science Daily – ‘Losing Yourself’ in a Fictional Character Can Affect Your Real Life, or explore the research yourself.

Coffee Can Extend Your Life – Really!

Beth Spicer — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:25:12 +0000

In a New England Journal of Medicine study of 400,000 aging Americans, the NIH once again proved that coffee drinking is good for your heart, and a bunch of other organs, too. The study showed it was not about “moderation”, either, as the breakpoint for living a significantly longer lifespan (10%-15% longer) was based on folks having 6 or more cups a day!

For more details, read the full article in Time or check out the study itself.

Little Miss Straight Lace Spiderman Sample

Maria Elizabeth Romana — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:24:11 +0000

Here’s another recent “Sample Sunday” sample of Little Miss Straight Lace:

“Charlie, hit me again. Please.”

Charlie cocked a brow at the man seated at the end of the bar. “Don’t you need a little break, Spidey? That’s three in an hour, fella. Give ’em time to digest, for God’s sake.”

“Do I tell you how to pour, Charlie?” But the stocky man knew when he’d been cut off. He huddled over his empty glass, then glanced surreptitiously around him at the almost empty room. Little early yet for the regular Thursday night crowd, but vigilance had become a habit with him. He had seen that Doc guy—the PsyOps dude—a couple times, and he was making sure to keep out of his way. Wasn’t sure if the guy knew he was involved in the whole mess, but he didn’t want to find out the hard way. The guy had made him nervous enough when he’d thought it was all just a little drunken machismo, but once he’d figured out the truth about Doc’s gal…sh*t, he knew he was lucky to be alive, and he wanted to stay that way. And he had never forgotten that he had her to thank for that. Maybe someday he’d thank her for the ten grand he now had hidden in his grandmother’s basement. Not that he hadn’t earned it. Fair and square. He was an honorable fellow.

So why did he still feel so lousy about the whole thing? He’d done the best he could, hadn’t he? Under the circumstances. If he hadn’t done what he did, surely it would have been worse for her, right? ’Course, what could be worse than having your gray matter grilled? Looked like the lady still didn’t know her own name. Third Street. Jesus. Not like she didn’t know how to take care of herself, but…three against one? Nobody likes those odds. Then again, maybe she didn’t know how to take care of herself. Not anymore. Not with a hard-boiled head. A toasted tomato. The stocky man grimaced.

Such a nice lady, too. Maybe he should’ve done more to help her. Or maybe he should’ve moved to another town. Still could. He was bound to run into one of those PsyOps people sooner or later, just like he did today. And the next one would probably kill him.

Buy Little Miss Straight Lace now.

Just Another Sample Sunday

Madeline Plimpton — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:47:06 +0000

Here’s a Sunday Sample from one of the lighter moments in Maria Romana’s Little Miss Straight Lace.

Nic watched with amusement. Clearly, the older woman was just relieved not to have a screaming child in her arms any longer, but all Josie was worried about was soothing the woman’s feelings that the baby preferred a family friend to his own grandmother when he was most upset. Mama K just sighed and headed back out to the porch. Nic resumed drying the dishes, and Josie returned to the sink, but only to lean her back against it, while she held Nate, still comforting him, stroking and kissing the little red curls on his head, and patting his behind. The boy remained alert and awake, but gradually his tense muscles loosened and drooped, one of his legs flopped, and the hand firmly gripping Josie’s hair finally released.

“He is unusually attached to you.”

“Attached, yes. Unusual? I don’t think so. He’s just used to having me around. The twins were still really little when he came along, and twins, as you can imagine, are very demanding. Especially those little girls. I mean, it was just boobs, boobs, boobs, twenty-four-seven.” Nic laughed out loud, and then Josie did, too. “Oh, but I’m serious. Poor Maggie. And then to find out she was pregnant again so soon…” Josie looked up in her head and muttered, “Shawn—horny b*stard.” Nic quirked an eyebrow at her, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Nic had to fight not to laugh again. Boobs, twenty-four-seven. Horny b*stard. Being around Josie was like putting on your favorite old pair of slippers.

“Anyhow, there was no way Maggie could handle all three kids with Shawn gone to work all day. He’s a great dad and all, but he works really long hours, and it was just a zoo around here, so I came to help. I pretty much moved in for the first six months of Nate’s life.” She touched the boy’s cheek gently, and he pulled his thumb out of his mouth to clasp onto her fingers. “Granted, I’m not much use in the kitchen or the laundry or whatever, but what these guys need, I got.” She lifted the boy up, so they were face to face, and grinned at him, wrinkling up her nose. He reached gleefully toward her face, then snagged one of the bright purple earrings she was wearing. “Ooh, oh, ouch! Honey, Aunt Jo needs that ear. Sweetie, let go, please…”

Nic quickly set down the drying and turned to them. He gently lifted the hook out of Josie’s ear, leaving the earring in Nate’s hand. “Is it all right if he has it?”

“As long as he doesn’t poke it in his eye.” She lowered him so he sat around her waist while he played with it.

“But how did you work while you helped Maggie with the children?”

She tipped her head slightly, “Oh, I just cut down on my contracts for a while…way down.” She seemed far away for a moment, then came back, “I’d been working too much. I needed a break.”

“You were not worried about your business, or your reputation…”

“No. I’m good at what I do. I figured they’d call back, and most of them have. The ones that haven’t—” She shrugged. “Their loss. Besides, what’s more important?” She looked straight at him.

“The family, of course.”

“You agree?”

“Completely.” He smiled, then intercepted the earring just as Nate was about to shove it up his nose.

Nic nodded to himself—question answered. Five hundred points to the little lady in the t-shirt and sarong. It would be a cold day in hell before Linda Coleridge put family before work. And a bitterly freezing one before she shrugged her shoulders at the thought of losing a client over a friend’s child care needs. Hey, wait a minute—Linda Coleridge? Linda Remedian! He hadn’t thought of his ex by her maiden name in years…

Nic picked up the towel again. Wasn’t there something else that needed drying?

Buy Little Miss Straight Lace now.